NEWSLETTER 21

Newsletter 21# – 1 March 2015

New Hoyland Group

On Thursday evening, it was Deja Vu all over again, as we attended the inaugural meeting of

the Save Hoyland Common Green Belt group:

https://www.facebook.com/Savehoylandcommongreenbelt2015

Same old problem of lack of information, confusion and rumors, some of which were

dispelled by Eric’s presentation of KIG’s origins and activity. Their issues in land terms are

different to ours, but the slides shown by their spokesperson gave a graphic illustration of

what’s at stake:

We understand that there will be a meeting for Mount Vernon area residents next month,

along the same lines. That makes at least four groups actively challenging the Local Plan

assumptions.

Spawforths

A few days ago we received an invitation from Spawforths to attend their offices, to discuss

their latest Masterplan:

“The Barnsley West Consortium would like to share the latest information on Barnsley West

with key stakeholders.” (but you can come, too).

We wrote to all our councillors, asking if they had been invited. Their responses? Cue the

tumbleweed.

After due consideration, we decided that The “Barnsley West Consortium” have nothing to say

that we want to hear and declined their offer, but not before we had been referred to their

updated Barnsley West website:

http://www.barnsleywest.co.uk/

where the latest plan is included. This has been copied and marked up for your information.

On their website, alongside the plan, they say:

“As part of the Council’s Local Plan consultation process, the Barnsley West Consortium has

submitted site specific and policy representations as well as the Planning and Design

Framework to support the allocation of Barnsley West. A summary of the information

included within the Planning and Design Framework is already available for viewing on the

Barnsley West website.”

This text may have come from a press release. The “information included within …” is just the

plan, though it sounds a lot grander. Note the above highlighted text. Funnily enough, there

is no submission in the Draft Local Plan Consultation comments from this “Consortium”. This

suggests to us that it’s all cut and dried. Why go through all the hassle of making

comments and suggestions on something that’s already agreed in detail?

A quick look at the new plan. This and the 2014 version are included for comparison

purposes.

Working from the north, you can see that the industrial units have been moved from St Johns

Avenue, as has the proposed school. Redbrook residents are treated to even more industrial

units behind St Thomas’ Road. The “District Centre” is bigger.

The school would be located by Welland Court, with access through the gap there (and where

the Hi-viz-jacketed people were seen some weeks ago – it all adds up).

South of Hermit Lane, nothing much changes, except the shape of the housing plot behind

Wharfedale Road, where opposition is sure to be bought off by the addition of a “Community

Green Space” . In this revised proposal, access would solely be via a widened Farmhouse

Lane. I wonder if we’ll get a mini roundabout at the junction with Wharfedale Road/Pogmoor

Lane.

We’re also aware that Spawforths are in the process of meeting residents who left their details

at the July 2014 drop in at Barugh Green WMC. Their apparent aim is to try to reassure them

that it’s not as bad as it looks. It is. It’s even worse. It’s obvious from activity elsewhere in

the country and even round Barnsley, that promises made at this stage are utterly

worthless. It’s only when you see actual planning applications that you’ll see how bad it can

get, but by then it’ll be too late.

In other news

Feeding frenzy

As if we don’t have enough to be concerned about, the latest news from Sheffield is very

worrying:

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/business-news/bidding-frenzy-at-property-auction-1-

7125775

Check out the heading – “bidding frenzy”. It’s starting all over again! If the landowners on site

MU1 haven’t already signed contracts, they’ll be rubbing their hands at the thought of being

able to push up the price of their land even further. So will the Council, at the thought of how

much extra they’ll be able to cream off the top. What happens later, though, when the

landowners and front-enders have made their money and disappeared and the inflated cost of

the housing and employment sites is found to be unaffordable? Cue pictures of low-rise

versions of City Reach dotted around the site of what was once productive Green Belt land?

Pogmoor Area Residents Association

Those who have been with us from the beginning will know that our group was initially a sub-
group of Pogmoor Area Residents Association, without whose initiative KIG may not have got

off the ground as quickly or effectively.

They’ve written to us, saying: “… As you know we formed following our campaign against the

proposed gypsy site and that is why all our committee live within a close proximity to the West

road area. Ideally we would now like members with a wider geographical spread of Pogmoor

than we have at present. If someone would like further information I would be happy to meet

them.”

They are also looking for residents to consider joining their committee. Here’s their website:

https://pogmoorara.wordpress.com/ Contact: pogmoorara@gmail.com

You’ll see from that that their next meeting is a General Meeting where they invite all residents

in the Pogmoor area to come along and keep up to date with present and future community

developments.

It’s on Thursday 12th March 2015 at 7.30pm, in the Edith Perry Room at the Hospital.

Draft Local Plan Comments

We continue to monitor the site and will keep you informed. Comments are not yet fully

processed. As reported earlier, BMBC will advise when all inputting is complete.

Meanwhile, if you wish to keep tabs yourselves and are not sure how, we can re-issue the

tutorial on request.

DONT FORGET

Illustrative Masterplan August 2014

1.3.15

Don’t forget: